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The Final Salute Endorsements and Reviews

An absolute must read book. If you have family in the military, friends or not this is a book that will give you a greater appreciation for their sacrifice. Not just the soldier but the families as well. I loved this book more than I can express.

“A Captivating Tribute to Our Heroes in the Sky — There are not enough positive adjectives in the English language to describe what an incredibly fulfilling and beautiful story Kathleen Rodgers has placed within the pages of this unbelievable book. Having just completed it, I can only describe the dichotomy of emotions I feel right now as those of both pride and loss – pride for the years of military service I contributed to our great nation, and loss as I bid farewell to the enigmatic characters Rodgers has given us in Tuck, Gina, and the many others who bring this tale to life and make it dance on the page right before your eyes. Many have “told” readers countless stories of our brave men and women in uniform and the numerous sacrifices they make for us as they struggle to balance duty to country with duty to family; but Rodgers is one of the elite few who is able to make you “feel” their plight, their emotional battles, their physical pain, as well as their joy.”

“It’s the details that change your life — Kathleen M. Rodgers’ The Final Salute is a moving, compelling story of military life, yes, but of so much more. Rodgers writes with insight and knowledge of military life and just enough solid, factual detail to enthrall me, to make me feel as if I am experiencing that walking-the-perilous-edge along with the main characters. But it’s the heart-tugging emotions that she weaves through the story that alert me to what a spellbinding storyteller she is. Ultimately, her tale is a realistic yet heartwarming and reaffirming assessment of life and love and dedication by the very people who guard our own lives.”

— Parris Afton Bonds, New York Times bestselling author of Deep Purple & cofounder of Romance Writers of America and Southwest Writers Workshop

“Gripping Insider’s Story of A Fighter Pilot’s Life Out of the Cockpit —Kathy Rodgers’ award-winning novel, The Final Salute, tells the story of Lt. Colonel Tucker “Tuck” Westerfield, an A-10 pilot, career Air Force officer on the cusp of promotion and senior command, loving husband, and devoted father of three who, while struggling to deal with the news of his best friend’s death in an aircraft accident, finds himself in the wrong place, at the wrong time, with the wrong person when he stumbles upon his commanding officer in the middle of an affair with his female executive officer. What happens next is a series of escalating and emotionally wrenching actions and decisions that not only threaten Tuck’s career, but also his marriage. Rodgers’ characters are all well-rounded and complex and the story pulls you in from the very beginning. The novel’s climax and its aftermath are one of the most moving and satisfying I have ever read.”

— Dwight J. Zimmerman, New York Times #1 Bestseller writer of Lincoln’s Last Days, President of Military Writers Society of America

Midwest Book Review ~ I recommend this novel as a good description of the military life and the inner works of the way things are done, including the cover-up process.

Fort Worth, Texas Magazine ~ Until the very end, readers are intrigued by her colorful cast of characters that bring everything from love to betrayal amid the added struggle of military life.

Winner of the Silver Medal for fiction from Military Writers Society of America

Amazon’s #1 Top Rated War Fiction

“The Final Salute is a book I did not want to put down, and I think Kathleen Rodgers writes descriptively and with compassion. She shows readers another side of military life in an original and interesting format.”

The Final Salute is a military fiction by Kathleen Rodgers. Colonel Tuck Westerfield, a fighter pilot at Beauregard Air Force base who flew in the Gulf war, mourns the death of his friend and colleague. His unhappiness rises after catching his Commanding Officer cheating with another officer, as his boss constantly threatens him. Gina, Tuck’s wife, worries about his moodiness, which the neighbor’s dog provokes; and Michelle, her rebellious, gothic-attired stepdaughter who visits. Tuck travels down Memory Lane, reliving his childhood while remembering his friends and colleagues who died courageously, and wonders why life deals such blows. He is assigned to the Middle East after Iraq invades Kuwait and his experiences there make him more determined to consider adjustments to his life if he survives.

Kathleen Rodgers has created an engrossing military fiction appropriately called The Final Salute. She gives a very realistic account of what life is like in the air force, both from those who serve and from their family members’ point of view. It is an intriguing story that has so many emotions as the diverse characters express their joys, fears, pains and sadness in different ways. The author also demonstrated quite nicely how a few military careers may be tarnished and how some scandals or other conflicts are quickly covered up. The Final Salute is a book I did not want to put down, and I think Kathleen Rodgers writes descriptively and with compassion. She shows readers another side of military life in an original and interesting format.

— Michelle Stanley for Readers’ Favorite

Kathleen has nailed it, capturing the emotions most always suppressed by men. Other reviews serve a wonderful tribute to the military pilot’s and family aspect of the story. Characters and situations all ring with credible familiarity. Rare as a Comedian able to engage the audience without resorting to sex and profanity, Kathleen delivers a clean piece of work while delivering the messages contained within. Be cautious however, this read was hard to put down once started. I will be reading anything forthcoming bearing her name.

Having served 23 years in the air force and working in flight simulators I spent my career around pilots. Their courage and talent never ceased to amaze me. This book takes you into their world. The characters are like many I knew, the skill as a pilot, the courage and the humor they had is show cased in this book.

Death rides close, some are brave, some not so brave. So are the pilots in the book. And let’s not forget the wives and children with who bravely send their loved ones off each day with a silent strength. This book reveals their lives both the good and bad of each.

Our country owes a debt to all men and women who serve as well as their families. This book helps understand them in a very human way.

Great story of a military family’s struggles with life and duty. Complex characters make this well worth your time. Thanks Kathleen for bringing military family life to life for the reader. Highly recommended.

The Final Salute presents itself as a light-hearted work of fiction, then leaves the reader feeling punch-drunk with reality. The story opened my eyes to the many difficulties that our military men and women face, not only while at war, but at home in peaceful times…I offer my “salute” to them and to the families that love them.

This is an interesting read. It doesn’t get techy involved in the flying aspects but it does get involved in the human side and marriage and children and…all the things the military people, both in the service and married to the service have to deal with. Death is no stranger.

This was not the book I was expecting it to be when I bought it. That said, I read it in one sitting (4 hours) and enjoyed it thoroughly. It grasps the essence of surviving a career in the military, the good points (comradery) and the bad points (many times lousy leaders who look out for their own careers and not their subordinates). But in the end you realize that your destiny and future is yours alone.

A really god read follows the life of an Air Force fighter pilot and his family. We have plenty of people we know in all branches of the service. It was not a gory war story but more an insight to the life of this officer pilot. I just really enjoyed it and hope you do too!

This is a delightful tale about a man who loves his job, flying planes in the U. S. Air Force. Most every pilot I know has a family, a community that they live in, their fears. I wish I could take this author out for a drink, share stories, and thank her for her work.

An absolute must read book. If you have family in the military, friends or not this is a book that will give you a greater appreciation for their sacrifice. Not just the soldier but the families as well. I loved this book more than I can express.

The characters in this novel are very real. The author gives the reader an understanding of the thoughts and feelings of military families and the sacrifices they undergo. I would definitely recommend this book.

I loved this story. Having been in the military, I could relate to base housing, crazy alerts and the fear of deployment. Rodgers is a magnificent writer. I will gladly read whatever she writes. If I could give her 6 stars, I would.

I wasn’t sure what to expect with this book and it took me a chapter or two to get into it. I must say I am pleasantly surprised. The ending and epilogue where done very well. I hate it when authors take a good book and ruin it in the last chapter and epilogue, and this one was good to the last period.

OH WOW! This book is AH-mazzzzing! Very entertaining yet the picture we receive of the military life is deep, emotional and appreciative. This book is a MUST for everyone’s permanent library. I couldn’t put the book down!

The Final Salute is a pleasant depiction of the life and politics in the USAF. It is relatively predictable, but entertaining. However, if you are looking for a lot of air action, this isn’t the book for you. If, on the other hand, you want to know how it was to be in the Air Force during the period depicted, it is a good read with the exception that the bad officers depicted in it are a little over the top.

Thank you so much for reading my book and taking the time to post a review. I am very honored. I’m working hard to complete another novel by the end of this year.

I did want to say that the “bad officers” in my novel were based on a few bad commanders my husband and I encountered in the Air Force. Again, my husband had the privilege of serving under some amazing men and fellow fighter pilots. But it’s the bad ones I wanted to “rat out” because so many times they make rank on the backs of others. And so many times it’s the junior officers and NCOs that suffer under such brutes.

I’ve read Kathleen Rogers The Final Salute twice. It’s obvious that the rich characters came from connections with real people because even the dog comes alive with her own personality. Coming from a family of 8 kids, 4 of 5 brothers were in the Military my dad was a WW!! Veteran and my husband a Viet Nam Vet. You soon discover how many similarities there are in the lives and experiences of the Military Man/Woman but Kathleen has integrated those experiences into her unique and believable characters. Any book that brings the empathy and the smiles out is a good one, and The Final Salute does just that”! Suzanne Stanits

The Final Salute: Together, We Live On by Kathleen Rodgers lifts the red, white and blue veil from the world of the contemporary American fighter pilot–and the lives they and their families live. No group in the military family understands the fragility of life more acutely than aviators’ spouses. Peacetime air training missions gone wrong are just as deadly as wartime aerial combat. Because of the nature of their profession, fighter pilots wear grief like second skin shadows.

Kathleen Rodgers leaves no doubt that she intimately knows what it’s like to love a fighter pilot and to be in endless competition with his mistress, the love of flight. Her novel was written, the author says, “in memory of fallen friends, too numerous to mention” and dedicated to the author’s husband, retired Air Force fighter pilot, Lt. Colonel Tom Rodgers, “whose ghosts first inspired this story.” Many of Colonel Rodgers’ former wingmen, now gone to glory, appear disguised as spirits in the novel’s most compelling chapter, which partially takes place in a cemetery.

Rodgers has created richly layered characters that compel readers to keep flipping the pages. Protagonist Lt. Col. Tuck Westerfield represents the finest of America’s military. He leads by example and leads from the front. Rodgers’ characters deal with the anxiety of separation, the fear associated with wartime combat, teenagers that rebel, spouses who cheat, and unbounded grief.

The Final Salute is a great read and would be an appropriate gift for anyone who has served in the military or for those who just want a realistic glimpse into the lifestyle. However, since combat pilots have been known to use language not appropriate for a Junior League soiree or a function at the base chapel, The Final Salute is perhaps not a gift for your church altar guild chairwoman.

The novel was awarded a prestigious silver medal for fiction from the Military Writers Society of America (MWSA).

— Bonnie Bartel Latino, former columnist for Stars and Stripes newspaper in Europe and co-author of the military novel, YOUR GIFT TO ME.

An absolute must read book. If you have family in the military, friends or not this is a book that will give you a greater appreciation for their sacrifice. Not just the soldier but the families as well. I loved this book more than I can express.

“Gripping Insider’s Story of A Fighter Pilot’s Life Out of the Cockpit —Kathy Rodgers’ award-winning novel, The Final Salute, tells the story of Lt. Colonel Tucker “Tuck” Westerfield, an A-10 pilot, career Air Force officer on the cusp of promotion and senior command, loving husband, and devoted father of three who, while struggling to deal with the news of his best friend’s death in an aircraft accident, finds himself in the wrong place, at the wrong time, with the wrong person when he stumbles upon his commanding officer in the middle of an affair with his female executive officer. What happens next is a series of escalating and emotionally wrenching actions and decisions that not only threaten Tuck’s career, but also his marriage. Rodgers’ characters are all well-rounded and complex and the story pulls you in from the very beginning. The novel’s climax and its aftermath are one of the most moving and satisfying I have ever read.”

Dwight J. Zimmerman, New York Times #1 Bestseller writer of Lincoln’s Last Days, President of Military Writers Society of America

“A Captivating Tribute to Our Heroes in the Sky — There are not enough positive adjectives in the English language to describe what an incredibly fulfilling and beautiful story Kathleen Rodgers has placed within the pages of this unbelievable book. Having just completed it, I can only describe the dichotomy of emotions I feel right now as those of both pride and loss – pride for the years of military service I contributed to our great nation, and loss as I bid farewell to the enigmatic characters Rodgers has given us in Tuck, Gina, and the many others who bring this tale to life and make it dance on the page right before your eyes. Many have “told” readers countless stories of our brave men and women in uniform and the numerous sacrifices they make for us as they struggle to balance duty to country with duty to family; but Rodgers is one of the elite few who is able to make you “feel” their plight, their emotional battles, their physical pain, as well as their joy.”

Amanda Matti, author of A Foreign Affair

“It’s the details that change your life — Kathleen M. Rodgers’ The Final Salute is a moving, compelling story of military life, yes, but of so much more. Rodgers writes with insight and knowledge of military life and just enough solid, factual detail to enthrall me, to make me feel as if I am experiencing that walking-the-perilous-edge along with the main characters. But it’s the heart-tugging emotions that she weaves through the story that alert me to what a spellbinding storyteller she is. Ultimately, her tale is a realistic yet heartwarming and reaffirming assessment of life and love and dedication by the very people who guard our own lives.”

Parris Afton Bonds, New York Times bestselling author of Deep Purple & cofounder of RWA

I loved this story. So true to life. Can relate to it all. My husband was not pilot but flew a lot especially in Vietnam (twice) – he was an engineer but still loved pilots. You will understand this comment after reading the book. The author really tells it like it is. The fun times and times of sorrow. After spending 20 years with an Army officer I can relate well to this real life story. Read it in 2 sittings since I couldn’t put it down :).

The book was truly amazing…I’m still wiping the tears away and the pages need drying…you develop this amazing connection with the characters, so much that I couldn’t put it down. I read it from beginning to end without stopping…a true testament to the capabilities and incredible talent of the author. Thank you Kathleen M. Rodgers, you have made another fan. I look forward to reading more of your work!

I knew little about the world of the military and especially the world of the Air Force fighter pilot before reading Kathleen M. Rodger’s THE FINAL SALUTE.
Now, I feel as if I’ve been a part of that world for a while. I have a better understanding of just how difficult…and how joyous…this world can be.
Ms. Rodgers’ story about Tuck Westerfield and his family drew me in from the very first page. Tuck is a Vietnam vet now serving on a small base in Louisiana. Haunted by the memories of fallen friends, Tuck forges ahead. His story is a believable one simply because he is so complex and richly drawn. When Iraq invades Kuwait, another tragedy comes, another fallen friend. Amidst the final salute, Tuck and his buddies realize that they must pull together as a unit if they are going to survive…both mentally and physically. Otherwise, they will be consumed by their grief.
Emerging from this world left me a bit broadsided. In the hands of this most gifted author, the grief and tragedy Tuck experiences became my own.
But so did the relief and love that the characters feel for one another.
And the inclusion of TAPS in the beginning of the book brings it all together. It was a stroke of genius. THE FINAL SALUTE is truly a masterpiece!

In a fast paced story, readers are taken through the everyday politics of an USAF air base in Louisiana as we follow families along their paths. The lead character, Tucker “Tuck” Foster is a fighter pilot who served in Viet Nam and is now training other pilots and waiting for his promotion to a higher position. But, we don’t see our story through Tuck’s eyes alone. We get to peak at the world through the eyes of entrepreneurs, disgruntled military people, scared teens, little kids, and military wives. The characters face life, of course, they face death and eventually face maturity and graceful age.

I wasn’t sure I would like the book from the light weight and critical reviews from military experts. But, I’m not a military person; there is an incredible amount of small politics that goes right over my head and I was able to just enjoy both the tension, drama and humor of this story. Remember, nothing that authors make up can best that which happens in the real world. If you, dear reader, are a ‘military expert’, get over yourself, cut loose and enjoy the book!

There is adventure and tension, more than enough to go around, for Tuck and his squadron are in the thick of Desert Storm at a time when he had an intention of taking early retirement instead of coming ‘way to close to being shot down over the desert sands of Kuwait. Part of the story comes to us in letters between the various characters who are at war and those who are in agony at home fearing that their warrior won’t come home.

We see a teen become a lovely young woman with the help of people she wouldn’t ordinarily encounter. We see co-warriors who have been in competition and at odds come to a level of understanding that is almost closer than friendship. We see some stinkers come to justice almost by accident. And while faith grows stronger as the story develops, we get to encounter a religious fanatic who has the power to make more than one or two characters absolutely miserable.

I wanted to read the book because I’ve recently become acquainted with the author through social media. I was expecting a vapid romance and war story, but I was surely surprised to find a story that doesn’t leave the reader in any moment of ho-hum throughout the entire book. The characters are drawn in one way from other characters’ perception. Then, we learn more about their real personalities; we get a little dose of tolerance ourselves, for there is more to almost everybody than we first expected. There is some delightful humor (be prepared for some ‘language’) and moving beauty. There is sadness that you won’t be able to get through with dry eyes, but there is balance, peace and beauty at the end of the day for this book full of unexpected heroes. And, when you’re through with this book, I’m hoping you will also love it with a Purple Passion! If you don’t, you will surely understand why I use the term!

I read this book on my Kindle Fire. I will be reviewing the book at Ozarks Mystique and GoodReads as well as this review. I highly recommend that you read it for the story and the joy at least once. If you have to argue with the details, wait until the second or third reading.

I could not put this book down – if I did my husband would start reading it. The characters are believable and the reader wanted to know more about them and the author did not disappoint. I’m a Navy wife and truly enjoyed the venture into the Air Force world. Look forward to your next book.

After Elliot left the timber business, he was involved in a number of aviation projects. Lucky me, I got to ride around on his coat tails. There were White House planes and helicopters, the space shuttle Atlantis, planes loaded with bombs headed into a war zone, Russian inspectors flying in C-130s to verify missiles destroyed, and a bazillion young pilots in their green jumpsuits flying to somewhere.

As for those young pilots, they are special military people, and Kathleen Rogers has perfectly captured a sliver of the fictional life of one military pilot—Tuck Westerfield.

Tuck’s story will pull you into his intricate tale of daily life in the military. Gosh, he has kiddo troubles, a crazy ex-wife, secrets, funny neighbors, good friends, and yep, thoughts about retiring and making a living.

However, there is one fat hazard in the book that is not generally found in the civilian world— pilots fly planes; pilots and their planes crash; and sometimes, pilots die. In THE FINAL SALUTE, a chapter deals with the ghosts of Tuck’s dead pilot friends. They appear in his mind, and he becomes very self-reflective of his life.

If you want to experience a sense of military life, you will enjoy Rogers’ book. It should be noted that THE FINAL SALUTE won the Silver Medal Award from the Military Writers Society of America.

I say, “Blessings on all those lovely young men in their green jumpsuits flying to somewhere.” <3

The Final Salute, Kathleen Rodgers’ beautifully readable book, celebrates fighter pilots and their families, the intense drama which goes with the territory, and the very real characters who live on her pages. Set on a military base that could be Anyplace USA, military folks will feel right at home. Those who are not will learn about a culture of service where love of country and family is marred by human failings, and sometimes, some very sad times, by the ultimate sacrifice. I’m eagerly awaiting the launch of her new book, Johnnie Come Lately.

Drema Hall Berkheimer
author of the forthcoming memoirRUNNING ON A RED DOG ROAD and Other Perils of an Appalachian Childhood

While shopping in the Kindle store, I happened on a title that was familiar. I had
read The Final Salute when it came out in hard copy in 2008. The new cover, which emphasizes
the feminine aspect is beautiful. For the second time, I own a copy of Kathleen Rodgers’ award-
winning narrative. Her characters are realistic, and her ability to write believable dialogue
are just two of her many storytelling talents. I am a fan.

This book provides a fascinating glimpse into military base life and the complex and tense relationships between the families that cope with both mundane routines and extraordinary situations. I’ve never read a novel with a military backdrop, and I was pleasantly surprised with this purchase. Looking forward to reading Rodgers’s next book!

Well written!!! Enjoyed it thoroughly. Many books have been written about WWII and the hardships people endured during that era, it was nice to read a story written about a military family during modern times.

It doesn’t take long for good writing to show. I was only a few pages into this book when I recognized I was reading the words and phrases of an exceptional writer. A few chapters later I could sense the makings of an excellent storyteller. These attributes kept me involved and allowed me to continue reading a story that I would have long ago put down.

I’m sure there is an audience for the dramatic tales of the spouses of our nation’s serving warriors while living on military bases or deployed overseas. I’m not part of that audience. My reading and entertainment tastes do not connect me with Desperate Housewives meets the politics of the Post Commander. It’s just not my thing. However, I stuck with this book because the writing was so good and the pace kept pushing the story along and there was a sufficient amount of anticipation to keep my interest.

I’m glad I did. The final few pages are riveting. The author took her already excellent writing skills up a notch and brought this story to a heart-wrenching and gripping conclusion. Don’t put down this book until you’re finished. The ending defines this story and is worth the ride!

This book was written about things that happened at an Air Force Base in Louisiana where I was stationed. I’m still reading the book. And so far it is an excellent book. I recommend this book to anyone.

Why do I title this a timely finish you might ask, because I started this book last weekend and got it 75 percent read when I left it behind at my daughter’s home. This weekend she came for a visit and returned my Kindle and earlier tonight, or rather now I should say last night as it is the wee hours of the morning, I finished The Final Salute only to find out on FACEBOOK that it was finished on the Author’s birthday,

Loved, loved, loved the novel and will surely suggest it for our next round of books in our book club. As a former Military Spouse (Army) I naturally am attracted to stories about military life. It was so much fun to be in the “base drama” again and I loved the vivid characters that were the players in the storyline.

Had I written this review an hour ago when I turned after turning off my Kindle I would be typing this on a damp keyboard and reading it with tearing eyes. I adored the ending and it will stay in my mind for a very long time. I found this novel to be full of family drama bringing on both laughter and tears. You become a part of the Venus and Mars …. (ladies and men)… lives while reading it. I could not wait any longer to give it 5 stars and thank Kathleen Rogers for presenting this book in a way that makes me beg for more. What about a Lifetime Movie. How great that would be.

As a veteran myself, I could relate to the military life described in this story. The author does a wonderful job of illustrating the sacrifices of those who serve and she also details the personal and sometimes devastating conflicts experienced by the military spouses.
Final Salute is a tribute to the pilots who put their lives on the line every time they enter the cockpit – regardless of politics, personal career needs and family conflicts. The author doesn’t sugar coat reality, however. Through her skillful use of a colorful cast of characters, she details everything from love to betrayal. Cover-ups, political power plays within military ranks and even personal cover-ups by family members in order to protect military careers are included in the story line.
Kathleen Rodgers tells this story boldly, respectfully and never forgets how much is given for the freedoms we all embrace. Finally, the greatest achievement of this book is that I always felt it was really a “Final Salute” for all veterans and their families.

The Final Salute was an entertaining and poignant story of military life. The story brought back many memories to me as the wife of a pilot in the Marine Corps for 23 years…The unfairness of an immoral, self-centered higher ranking officer to a promising and talented pilot and officer was something we didn’t experience (thank goodness!) but I felt the pain of it through the superb talent of the author of this book. The junior officer playing taps on his buddy’s roof in the middle of the night to say goodbye could have been one of those wild and crazy Marines I remember during the 1960’s.Kathleen has done a magnificent job of writing a story that made me feel the emotions of the wives, the children, and the military personnel and reminds me of the supreme sacrifices that they all make for the preservation of freedom in America. The Final Salute was a wonderful read!

I recommended this book, The Final Salute by Kathleen Rodgers. It brought back a lot of memories
of when my husband was stationed at this base in Louisiana. The last few chapters brought tears to my eyes. It’s good reading for anyone who is in the military, retired, a spouse or grew up around the military. I salute Kathleen for writing such a good book and can’t wait till her next books comes out.

Reading The Final Salute was a real pleasure. The characters jumped off the pages and brought it to life. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys stories of military life. It’s a true to life story and makes one appreciate what our military men & women and their families sacrifice. I look forward to Kathleen
Rodgers next novel. Definitely a MUST read for all. Good luck on your next book.

Kathleen M. Rodgers’ THE FINAL SALUTE is a moving, compelling story of military life, yes, but of so much more. Rodgers writes with insight and knowledge of military life and just enough solid, factual detail to enthrall me, to make me feel as if I am experiencing that walking-the-perilous-edge along with the main characters. But it’s the heart-tugging emotions that she weaves through the story that alert me to what a spellbinding storyteller she is. Ultimately, her tale is a realistic yet heartwarming and reaffirming assessment of life and love and dedication by the very people who guard our own lives.

Parris Afton Bonds, New York Times bestselling author of INDIAN AFFAIRS

I have read numerous works of military fiction. The Final Salute by Kathleen Rodgers is one of the few that balances likeable and believable characters with a military story. So often military fiction is so focused on the military aspect that the characters lay flat, not in The Final Salute. The characters pop, and the story will catch your interest and tug on your heart. The author does an excellent job capturing the life of our military during the Gulf War period. The letters that go back and forth between Gina and Tuck are realistic and resonate with the hardships that military families endure. Do not miss this read, you will not be disappointed it is a well-rounded, heart-warming, true to life story that would be an excellent read if the military themes were removed, which cannot be said about most military fiction.

I am more a Middle Ages history buff and when I am not reading those- I read mysteries- so this book was totally outside my norm. But the characters seemed like people I have known and as their story unfolded, I found myself not wanting to put the book down. Ms. Rogers is very insightful into the life of those in the Air Force; her knowledge helped me to understand better the difficulty it is on everyone in that community when there is a war.

I would recommend this book to anyone even to those that do not travel much outside their norm for it is well worth the read. It is just plain good storytelling.

I enjoyed the book, The Final Salute by Kathleen M. Rodgers immensely. Even though I know nothing about military life, and had little contact with it, I wanted to read the book because, as a “wanna-be” writer, I had become Internet friends with Kathleen and I was thrilled to get to know her and to obtain a copy of a Silver Medal winning writer’s book.

I had no idea that I would enjoy it as I did or become so enchanted by the characters. I ordered The Final Salute thinking that the signed edition from the writer would make a lovely, memorable birthday present for myself. My birthday is the 24th of December. I had to wait all through Christmas holiday to get into it. It was well worth the wait!

One of her characters touched my heart deeply. For you see, when I got to the part where Tuck’s “gothed out” daughter, Michelle, comes to stay for a while with this blissfully ignorant and unsuspecting family, I burst into tears and laughter at the same time. Michelle so reminded me of someone. I wanted Kathleen to write more about Michelle because I loved every inch of her from the moment she got off the plane. I knew without a doubt that everything would turn out alright. Maybe there will be a sequel. Michelle just hit that spot in my heart, and I thank Kathleen for the read!!

Even though my conservative background made me cringe at the authentic language of the enlisted men at times :-), I found this book extremely interesting and an eye opener to the pain and the fear that families of pilots who fly to protect our wellbeing live with at all times. I often find myself thinking about the vast array of characters from the book throughout the day and think about how little thought we give to those who give their all for others. Kathleen was right about the second half of the book. I loved, loved, loved the part where Tuck meets up with the ghosts which haunt him. My thanks to Kathleen for the years it took to put this together, the stamina it gook to get it published, and the bravery needed to live with a fighter pilot for a husband. Thanks again, Kathleen.

In the first half of this book, I casually and delightfully got to know these characters which I swear I could relate to each. I was propelled into a clever, mesmerizing journey into their lives. From start to finish, I went from simple enjoyment to a spiritual connection with the main character, and the story beautifully unfolded into a piece of artistic literature which left me in a happy and contemplative state. A joy to read.

Kathy Rodgers’ award-winning novel, THE FINAL SALUTE, tells the story of Lt. Colonel Tucker “Tuck” Westerfield, an A-10 pilot, career Air Force officer on the cusp of promotion and senior command, loving husband, and devoted father of three who, while struggling to deal with the news of his best friend’s death in an aircraft accident, finds himself in the wrong place, at the wrong time, with the wrong person when he stumbles upon his commanding officer in the middle of an affair with his female executive officer. What happens next is a series of escalating and emotionally wrenching actions and decisions that not only threaten Tuck’s career, but also his marriage. Rodgers’ characters are all well-rounded and complex and the story pulls you in from the very beginning. The novel’s climax and its aftermath are one of the most moving and satisfying I have ever read.

As a former Air Force pilot, I was amazed by the accuracy of the The Final Salute. There is a code that Air Force pilots live by and Kathleen captures the subtleties of this code very well. I also enjoyed reliving some of my memories from my time in the Air Force while reading this wonderful book. Thanks for the memories, Kathleen!

Kathleen, as I wipe away what I hope are the last of my tears, I must tell you how much I enjoyed my first of this Summer’s Read… The Final Salute I was so taken by your cast, as though they had become my friends, and I feel an emptiness as I bid them farewell… Superb story line that told just enough to make my mind wander, creating new events and conversations…thank you for a Great Read….

Kathleen Rodger’s book The Final Salute: Together We Live On depicts the life of a US Air Force family during the 1990s. Tuck Westerfield and his family’s challenges, disappointments and struggles will stay with you long after you have finished reading the last page. As the wife of a retired Air Force fighter pilot, Kathleen knows this life intimately. The development of the characters will draw you into the well-developed story and it will be difficult to stop reading. I became totally engrossed in the story and read it in two sittings.

The poem “Taps” by Maryellen Husson at the beginning of the book was written after her first husband, Captain Roy Westerfield, was killed in a plane crash in 1980. Kathleen creates the story of so many aviators’ wives who share the angst of not knowing if their loved one will return. There is pathos in this book but there is a thread of humor found in Wynonna and her Purple Passion products. For anyone who has known the folksy person who sells her cosmetic wares with passionate flair, you will love Wynonna’s humor. If you have read A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole, you may see a bit of his type of humor in Wynonna. I eagerly await the next book by this great storyteller! The Final Salute will keep your attention until the final page as the author draws the reader into the lives of these unforgettable characters.

The Final Salute is a rare look into the daily task of military family life. In the tradition of Pat Conroy, Kathleen Rodgers uses strong characters to give us insight into the unique highs and lows of military families. Carefully positioned within the plot line is a treasure trove of letters which adds another dimension to the characters that we long to know more about! Great read for military families and for those of us who are so grateful for their sacrifices!

An avid reader, I just finished reading The Final Salute and truly enjoyed every part of this well written novel. The characters were very realistic (especially Gina and Tuck), the story line kept my interest, and the premises put forth thoughtful. You can run through a lot of emotions with this well done first book about Life.

The Final Salute by Kathleen Rogers was awesome. I started reading and didn’t want to put the book down. It takes you into military life and what Mothers and children go through when their loved ones sacrifice their lives for us to be free. It had serious situations, humor and all types of emotions in this book. I would recommend it even if you are not involved in the military. Kudos to you Kathleen book well written!

The Final Salute: Together We Live On written by Kathleen M. Rodgers is a wonderful story about fighter pilots and their family and friends. Kathleen has lived the life of a fighter pilot’s wife and raised two sons who had a fighter pilot for their dad. She knows firsthand how a fighter pilot’s family lives.

At the beginning of the book is a poem called “Taps” written by a friend of Kathleen’s whose first husband died when his plane crashed. It is a touching tribute to her husband and other men who have died in the line of duty flying their planes. Not only did they have to fly in war, but these men had the duty of testing planes.

Kathleen is so good at bringing her characters to life. It is a book about relationships of those who have a lot of stress in their lives. Her main character, Tuck Westerfield, has a wife and two sons. Kathleen can relate to this family because her family went through similar things. One of my favorite chapters of the book are the letters the sons wrote to their dad, Tuck, when he was away at war. And, the sweet letters Tuck wrote back to the two boys.

When you read The Final Salute you will laugh especially at Wynonna, feel happy, feel the love of family and friends, cry, feel mad, sad, feel scared, can’t believe that happened, and the characters might even remind you of someone you know.

One thing this book did for me was to make me aware of fighter pilots. I hear about them all the time now on the news and have learned about family and friends who flew fighter jets in wars.

It is a patriotic book and it honors not only fighter pilots, but all military men and women. Kathleen received the “Silver Medal” from the Military Writers Society of America for The Final Salute. This was her very first book. We are looking forward to more of her books to come.

This book is amazing! It is about life in the Air Force! The story is so true, it makes you feel like you are right there with them! I have read it twice and plan on reading it again! I recommend it to everyone! The price of the book is well worth what you get! Highly recommended!!!

“Kathleen, I just finished reading The Final Salute and am quite happy to say, I enjoyed it from start to finish. As you know, I grew up in Louisiana and England Air Force Base was first assignment as a new air traffic controller. Your book brought a flood of memories while taking me down memory lane. It’s an awesome read which I’m proud to highly recommend to all my friends.”

I became familiar with Kathleen Rodgers when I read a post she had written to an author friend of mine on Facebook. I posted: “You have a way with words, Kathleen.” Thinking she should write a book. She posted back, “I am an author. You might be interested in reading my book, The Final Salute. I immediately ordered it from Amazon and have waited until I finished it (last night) to comment. Kathy, I LOVE it. I enjoyed the transformation of Michelle at Gina and Miss Wynonna’s not-always-so ‘gentle’ instructions. Your development of Austin and Jesse was perfect, and I would bet your own sons were models. I love the character you created for the husband, father, and Air Force pilot, Tuck. He is the epitome of most of the Air Force members I became friends with while living with my sister and brother-in-law on two Air Force bases. I laughed at all the drama on base, remembering how there was always ‘something’ going on! I was thrilled to read your mention of Sheppard AFB and Texas A&M (my b-i-l’s, Col. Joe Harris’ alma mater). My precious niece, Julia, took her first steps at the O Club at Sheppard! We were there during the Viet Nam war when my b-i-l was a navigator on a B-52. We learned to live with the roar of a dozen of those monsters on the line and ‘at ready’ 24/7. Your description of the daily trials and tribulations rang true. We were living at Pease AFB (the war was still raging) and Joe was on alert and I had to see my sister through the birthing of her twins (Stephanie and Stephen – he became a pilot in the Army – flew Chinooks in Kuwait.) So much of your story reminded me of how life really is for our wonderful military, and how much they sacrifice. I had best stop before I reveal all your wonderful plot and characters. You do, indeed, have a way with words, Kathy, and I eagerly await your next creation. Congratulations on the success of your wonderful book!

I enjoyed this book as it reminded me a lot of some of the bases and aircraft from my time in the Air Force. It was one of the books that I didn’t want to put down as I was always wondering how each situation was going to be resolved.

The Final Salute is a pleasant depiction of the life and politics in the USAF. It is relatively predictable, but entertaining. However, if you are looking for a lot of air action, this isn’t the book for you. If, on the other hand, you want to know how it was to be in the Air Force during the period depicted, it is a good read with the exception that the bad officers depicted in it are a little over the top.

While the cover and title hint at a story that’s 100% military-focused, The Final Salute is much more than a look at the lives of the military and their families.

A wonderful balance between what might be called a “woman’s book” and a “man’s book,” The Final Salute ‘s first pages make readers witness to the start of a scandal that ultimately has far-reaching consequences, and then narrows in on the family of the man – Tuck – who witnessed the wrongdoing and whose career may be in jeopardy as a result. It affects not just Tuck, already dealing with the difficult loss of a fellow pilot (and the annoying neighbor’s dog), but his wife, who in turn is trying manage a complicated relationship with an angry Goth step-daughter, who herself is trying to get out from under the thumb of her oppressive (and somewhat crazy) mother.

The Final Salute is about close friendships, loss, family, marriage, the politics of higher rank, and how people behave when they’re under pressure – and with the military as the backdrop, as well as its own character.

Like people in real life, all of the characters in The Final Salute who begin as one-dimensional “types” gradually unfold with the story to reveal compelling complexities: their strengths, their quirks, and their weaknesses. Characters who are at first unlikable become those who will prove difficult to forget.

The Final Salute is an engaging blend of story, “real” people, intrigue (yes, intrigue!), sensitivity, and laugh-out-loud humor.

Kathleen M. Rodgers, you are spot-on with your realistic portrayal of military life in The Final Salute! Thank you! I was stationed at England from Oct 79-Closure. I had no idea “Buck” was involved in the stable fiasco. I walked down memory lane and was reminded of things long forgotten. I tell Dale Storr’s KIA to POW story often. I still remember the memorial we had for him while still in the Gulf. This book will included in my Military Memory Box. Thanks again for the memories.

From beginning to end, this book has kept me interested. Maybe it is because it is based on an Air Force base (no pun intended) where I used to live at the same time as the author but probably more because Kathleen has written exactly how life in the military is. And of course, she ought to know. By the end of my reading, I felt like Tuck & Gina were family members. I certainly recommend this book and can’t wait for Kathleen’s next book.

This book in not in a genre that I would normally read. However, I thoroughly enjoyed this well written book about life, love, commitment and comedy in military life. As soon as I finished it my husband read it in a couple of afternoons and loved it. He said it reminded him of his time served in the Air Force at Barksdale AFB. Many times I heard him laugh out loud. When I told him that I planned on reviewing the book he said that he wanted to thank the author for writing a book that was so true to his experiences in the military. There is no sugarcoating of the language normally used, or of the realities and difficulties of serving in the military. It is not easy to serve your country but it seems everyone that has served has many good memories of that time. Thank you Kathleen M. Rodgers. A wonderful trip down memory lane for my husband.

I’m not a military wife, woman, or a lover of military stories, but this is an enchanting book. The story could be about an average American family neighborhood, with the added knowledge of military life thrown in for extra intrigue.
I have to admit to a box of Kleenex sitting by at many times. I laughed and cried, but was never bored.
The author did a bag-up job with her characters. In a few short chapters, you knew these people as if they were your friends or neighbors, and became deeply involved in their lives.
I would recommend this book for men, women, and teens, for a brief education of true life in the military.

The book arrived on Tuesday @ 5:00 pm. Started reading @ 8:00 pm …couldn’t put the book down and finished around 12:00 pm. Family, true friendship, and what it is truly like to live a military lifestyle. Kathleen Rodgers nailed the true life of military personnel and their loyalty to their country. Plus, what the families on the home front endures and worry about daily while their love one is away during combat. As with everything in life, Mrs. Rodgers throws in the true nasty politics that everyone has to endure. Great job, Mrs. Rodgers! Rate this novel as a 10 star.

The Final Salute has been touted as a must read for Air Force pilots and their families. I maintain that it should have a far broader audience than that. This is a book that everybody would enjoy. In fact I would go so far as to call it a must read for all Americans because it gives a solid insight into the emotional world these families inhabit.

At the beginning we find Lt. Col. Tucker Westerfield dealing with what every fighter pilot spends his entire career fearing, the loss of a close friend. Tuck is told on his first day of flight training that in a twenty year flying career, one in three of them will die at the stick. While dealing with his grief, he walks into the middle of a situation that places him in the cross hairs of the most powerful people on his base. Tuck is forced to navigate this web of intrigue while maintaining his role as a husband and father. To keep him from being bored, Tuck also has a daughter he barely knows from a short lived previous marriage dropped back into his life. This backdrop places the reader in the world of a military career spanning from Viet Nam to the first Gulf War and everything that entails.

The Final Salute will grab you from the first page. You will dread having to put it down and long for your next opportunity to pick it up. Author Kathleen Rodgers has lived this life herself as the wife of a retired flyer and gives you a vacation into a whole other world. If you have no first hand experience with the military, this book will come as close as anything I have found to helping you understand what this life is like.

Reviewed by J. Keith Jones
Author of In Due Time and The Boys of Diamond Hill

The Final Salute was a nice read! Since I know the author and her pilot husband, I kept trying to fit them into the characters, sometimes successfully, sometimes not so much. The story and characters were colorful and well portrayed… I felt like I knew them by the end of the book. Wish for more!!

What an awesome book….Being a Military Veteran, it took me back to my days as an A-10 Crew Chief working at the same time and place the book was written about. I could relate to every event in the book as it actually happened! I was there. I lived it. This book really hit home for me! It is realistic, reminiscent, and a truly wonderful written book. I can identify with the characters and the emotions in The Final Salute.
A must read book for anyone who is currently or has ever served in the Armed Forces or knows someone who has. I couldn’t put the book down once I started reading it.
Bravo Kathleen for a well written book and look forward to your next one!!!!!!!

I really don’t know how to begin, but this was such a great book I couldn’t stop reading. I finished this book in two days, which was quite a feat since I have four year old and a new born at home. I was skeptical at first since my husband is an Army pilot and this book was about the Air Force but it is so much more than a military read. It has great insight into the life of a military family without over doing the military part, so that anyone can relate to it. I found myself relating to this story and really feeling what the characters were going through. If you want a great story about life, love and loss this is it.

I just finished The Final Salute. Kathleen Rodgers is such a good writer! I was drawn in by the characters and really cared what happened to them. Plus the descriptions are wonderful both of the scenes and the emotions. I am looking forward to the author’s next book.
Carol Schultz Vento, author of The Hidden Legacy of World War II: A Daughter’s Journey of Discovery

The Final Salute: Together We Live On by Kathleen M Rodgers took me so long because I was reading two books at once and realized this one was too good to do that so I finished the first one then gave this one all of my attention and let me tell you…I was laughing, I was crying, I was relating to the book! This is A MUST READ! Especially for anyone affiliated to military, and for those who aren’t it will give you a good look on the inside of the military life and its’ everyday struggles…..but you’d better have some tissues handy!!!!!

Kathleen M Rodgers’ fast-paced novel is a suspenseful delight, grabbing the reader from the start with a plot of treachery, fidelity, cowardice, and heroism. To use a cliché, I couldn’t put it down. In fact I missed the first half of a Thanksgiving day NFL football game so I could get to the end.
Never before have I considered the fear mothers, wives, and children suffer when their son, husband, or father goes in harm’s way for our country. Now, after reading The Final Salute I have a better understanding of the ordeal they must handle.
Lt. Col. Tuck Westerfield is a hot-shot U.S. Air Force fighter pilot. He has lost many close friends whose dangerous mission was driving fast-moving jets warplanes. He has also become disillusioned with the whole business of bad leadership and bureaucratic back-stabbing pervasive in his unit and has decided to take early retirement. But he has stumbled upon a cover-up that threatens to wreck the careers of his senior officers. Will he be a “good” soldier and not blow the whistle?
But this novel is also a love story. Suddenly Operation Desert Shield erupts and his better half, wife Gina, relates the events through her eyes. She and two young sons are on pins and needles, helplessly watching the news of combat at home, as Tuck attacks Iraqi Republican Guard tank columns in Kuwait in his powerful A-10 Warthog jet.
Rodgers weaves a perfect plot pulling the reader deeper into the drama until the climatic ending unfolds. This book will resonate with all demographic levels and I endorse it for everyone.

Kathleen Rodgers has crafted a true-to-life novel of Air Force life in The Final Salute. The characters are believable and the description of military life is real. I know what I am talking about because I grew up as the daughter of an Air Force officer. I “knew” many of the people, both military and dependent, described in this novel of military life of pilots and non-pilots.
Lt. Colonel Tucker Westerfield remembers the men he has known who died in the line of duty, both during war and peacetime. He has to deal with the fact that it could happen to him every time he goes on a mission – training or real.
His wife, Gina, supports his need to be a pilot by keeping the “home fires burning” as she attends the obligatory parties and teas, protects their two sons from her own fears and goes about normal daily living on an Air Force base.

“This’ll knock them dead, she thought, holding the dress in front of her. What is tonight’s theme? “Summer casual.” A big improvement from the last coffee when the guests were asked to come dressed “cute as a bug”. Becky Spitz answered the door that night wearing a ladybug costume, spots and all.”

In the course of this out of the ordinary novel, Tuck has to deal with the cover-up of an illicit affair by a ranking officer, a neighbor who has substituted her lack of children with animals, and a rebellious teenage daughter from an earlier short-lived marriage as well as the war in Kuwait. The characters have the same hopes and fears of civilians with the added burden of serving and protecting those same civilians.
I recommend this novel as a good description of military life and the `inner workings’ of the way things are done, including the `cover-up’ process. Also, if you don’t read it for any other reason, read it or the enjoyment of it.
Kathleen M. Rodgers is a native New Mexican who followed her husband from base to base as an Air Force pilot. She has two grown sons and a chocolate lab. She now lives in Colleyville, Texas with her husband and Bubba, the Lab. Her work has appeared in Family Circle Magazine, Air Force and Army Times, and Because I Fly, a poetry anthology published by McGraw Hill.
Navigator Books recently released the Kindle edition with a new cover. Also, Leatherneck Publishing went out of business in 2009, soft cover copies and the Kindle edition are available on amazon.com. The book won a Silver Medal from the Military Writers Society of America in 2009.

Military service is a little bit like living in hell, whether you are in a war zone or home…

The author asked her publisher, Navigator Books, to share an ebook copy with me for review (thank you). The book is available for purchase now. This book won the Military Writer’s Society of America 2009 Silver Medal for Historical Fiction.

I try not to read novels about the military and war. I have lost friends in wars and try to distance myself from the subject. However, this book is authentic and has a viable message. Ghosts from the past are never forgotten; they still come to visit you once in a while.

Ms. Rodgers does a very nice job of showing how the entire family, including the wife and children, are impacted by military life. She also pulls no punches about the military commanders having character flaws and the power to change any enlisted members life either for the better or for the worst. Men are never better than they should be, some are worse. And if you are not the top officer, you don’t argue, you just follow orders.

The author takes you through a rough spot in Turk’s life and shares what just what it’s like to be an honorable man caught up in a superior’s screw up. There is language in this story. It’s part of the story and doesn’t seem out of place.

If you’d like a closer look at what life is like on bases and in the field, here’s a good place to start. While story is fiction, it has the ring of truth.

I loved this book. Amazing story. Wonderful characters that you are so intrigued by that you cannot put the book down because you need/want to know what happens next. one of the things I loved most is the references and place setting of the Air Force. I am an air force brat and now an air force wife, I can relate and I have an understanding of the terms and phrases used. Which drew me more in the book! I cried a few times while reading this book. You get to know the characters like they are real and in front of you. So you can’t help but have feelings for them all. An enjoyable book for anyone to read!!

I grew up in an Air Force family and then had a career of my own in the Air Force, so I got a real kick out of reading this book. I can see how the author won an award for it. While it would be an enjoyable read for anyone, I highly recommend The Final Salute for everyone who spent a portion of their life as part of a military family!

Wow! What a wonderful refreshing novel. It provides a compelling look at the lives of a fighter pilot and his family during the 1990’s. It is superbly written and impossible to put down once started.

During the Viet Nam war I was married to an Army helicopter pilot and when I read The Final Salute it brought back so many memories of that time. The author realistically captures the poor post housing, the wife’s club, officer politics and the challenge of creating a new home at every new Army Post. She also captured the family stress of knowing your loved one was going to war but not knowing when.

Everyone should read this book. It vividly explores life on a military base or post. It also provides a fresh and interesting glimpse into the lives of full blown characters that capture your heart. By the end of the book the characters felt like friends and I hated to say goodbye. Kathleen Rogers has created a jewel of a book and I look forward to reading her next one.

I could not put down The Final Salute. As a past Air Force wife this really brought back many memories. I was at a base where an accident happened. Years of investigation and 2 families shattered. This book tells it like it is. From the minor Base rules to the Flight Regulations. I also can relate to Gina and Jo-Ellen, as an Airman’s spouse it was against “regulations” for us to have Officer spouses as friends. Like these two women I had two very good friends who were Officer spouses. There are just times when it has to be. I remember the first night of the air strikes and sitting on my San Antonio apartment and crying. Knowing that many people we knew would be going over. It is very hard to say that good-bye.

This book is the true life of a Military Family and the struggles of the life they have chosen. I am very proud to have been a Military spouse and read this book.

What a great read…it took me back to my days as a fighter pilot’s wife whose husband spent his flying career in the Air Force! It is realistic…it is reminiscent…it is wonderful…I truly enjoyed the entire book. It is worth it to get a copy then sit down and enjoy!!!

As an Air Force pilot’s son, and an attack helicopter pilot in Viet Nam, I can tell this book is right on the money. Anyone who has ever lived in military housing will recognize all the characters. I cannot wait for her next book, as I could not put this one down. I highly recommend it.

I loved this book. It brought back many memories of my past Air Force career. During my career in the Air Force, I was a young enlisted man. This book has given me a different perspective on what the Air Force was like through the eyes of an Officer. I loved the way the author was able to take true non-fiction characters and events and use them to create a fictional story. I could easily replace names and events in the story with events and names from my own past. I couldn’t put the book down and I read it in less than a day.

I loved this book! As the wife of a retired Marine fighter pilot I expected to enjoy this novel about life in the Air Force written by a retired Air Force fighter pilot’s wife. However, I expected to be confronted at all times with the differences between the branches of the military. Not only did I enjoy Tuck and Gina’s story, I met my sister of another mother in Kathleen M. Rodgers.

There are two sides to a life married to a fighter pilot. On one side is laughter, love and camaraderie; on the other is risk, estrangement and death. To survive and thrive, military spouses need to nurture their community, recognize their common ground, and show love–especially in the tough times.

Ms. Rodgers knows this and shows us the joys and sorrows and frustrations of military life both as a wife and a fighter pilot through characters so well-crafted they seem too real to be fictional. The services may be different in mission, expectation and duty stations, but the heart of a Marine Fighter pilot’s wife and that of an Air Force wife are a lot alike.

A great read! And now on Kindle.

By Marcia J Sargent Author of Wing Wife: How to be Married to a Marine Fighter Pilot

Kathleen M. Rodgers’ gripping novel about fighter pilots and their families is the kind of book you wish you could read in one sitting. I was engaged right from the start and found it very hard to put down. The characters are well-developed and there is plenty of intrigue and suspense. I’m an Air Force Brat myself and can certify that her descriptions of military life, the bonds of shared experiences and the ever-present danger of losing a loved one – even during peacetime – definitely ring true.

I was up at 5 AM last Sunday, eager to finish reading – couldn’t stand the suspense any longer! I found myself conflicted: Do I read slowly and savor descriptions such as “the woods huddled next to the fields like a crowd gathered at the scene of a crime,” or “her dagger-length fingernails fanned over the top of the steering wheel like purple claws,” or “the boys…tore through the house…terrorizing the dust bunnies.” Do I read fast and furious in order to find out how it all works out? Fortunately I had a couple tissues up the sleeve of my nightgown as I read, dabbing my eyes for the last 20+ pages. The ending was so powerful because I know that this fiction is every day real life for our men and women who serve. Very nice job, Kathleen.

The Final Salute is a fast paced book peopled with colorful characters who surprise you at times. I enjoyed getting a glimpse into the lives of military families with their special pressures to conform and to survive in a job that could leave their children orphans.

The little boys in the Westerfield family react like any two little boys would who love their father and want him to come home to them when his job is done. The wife, Gina, holds the family together by persevering in her job as mother, wife and friend to those who need one the most. A good read.

I loved this book! I really couldn’t put it down. It was so much fun to be reminded of roof stomps, Friday nights at the Club, wives’ coffees, base housing …
I recommend this book highly. I don’t know the author, but I know I would like her a lot!

Chapter 1 got my attention. Chapter 9 stole my heart. Bravo Kathleen Rogers for sharing your generous heart and experience with the characters of The Final Salute. You have captured the essence of America’s fighting men and women as well as that of the families that love and support them. It is the spirit of people like those in your book that have won America’s freedom. And, like Colonel Tuck Westerfield’s, their spirit continues to keep America free and safe.

For people like me who have few connections to people in the military–which nowadays, that unfortunately means most of us– The Final Salute creates a captivating window into a piece of military culture. We come to know on a very intimate level the family of an Air Force pilot and the courage every member of that family forges, not just the pilot.

By the end of The Final Salute I was in love with Tuck, the pilot, his wife Gina, their sons and Tuck’s daughter. Rodgers makes dialogue look easy as she brings the details of a military family’s life into vivid presence. And we read into the heart of this family not out of voyeuristic urges but because we know that their anxieties and dangers and loyalties result from their dedication to serve us, the civilian reading the pages. Courage becomes a concrete reality with all too real consequences rather than an abstraction exploited by politicians or generals.

Given that an increasingly small number of our fellow countrymen and women today know the realities depicted in The Final Salute, the book takes on even greater value, as it offers us civilians a way to understand what our volunteers and their families take on in volunteering to serve.

Kathleen Rodgers has created a highly entertaining novel that reads more like a memoir with characters, incidents and a storyline way too real to be purely fiction. She tells the story of career politics, base housing and life in the squadron with great humor and understanding. As a retired Marine fighter pilot (from an Air Force family) I found this book to be a refreshing remembrance of the highs and lows of squadron life, but more importantly, all that we asked of our wives under the guise of “just strap in and hang on tight!” They marry into this roller coaster lifestyle and are never fully briefed about what happens next; the new duty station, the long deployments and the grief that comes with lost aircrew. It reminds me that it takes a special woman to survive and stay on the wing. I know because I married one. BRAVO Kathleen!

I read this book in one sitting on a rainy day, it was that good. Most of us have a military connection in our family, whether in the past or currently have a loved one serving in our Armed Forces. We can all identify with the characters and the emotions in Final Salute. It touched me, it will touch you. Thank you Kathleen.

Kathleen Rodgers has the ability to create beautiful characters who you really want to get to know. She did such a terrific job developing her characters that I felt like I could see and hear them. I could picture what they were wearing and hear their distinctive accents drawn from their unique backgrounds. I do not come from a military background, however, after reading her book, I was drawn in to the “culture” of military life and was intrigued by it. I am in a book group in Texas and we were recently honored to have Kathleen attend our discussion of her novel, The Final Salute. She added greatly to our discussion with her personal insights into the characters. She is a gifted story teller.

Kathleen Rodgers novel The Final Salute is a great book for understanding the military as it is in real life. This is a story of the politics and battle of each military pilot as well as the family connections while living on a military base. The description of every family member is a part of the military; the behavior of the spouse and children are part of the Airman’s performance review. The connections of military family is really explained as these relationships parallel the same behaviors and reactions that are encountered in blood families. The Air Force family supports each other in times of suffering, fight with each other over minor things and lives with each other’s diverse backgrounds. You can read this book just for the excitement of the military, for the love of flying or the characters that you meet in the book. The thing I appreciate the most is the characters come alive as they are explained; you get to know and love some, you’ve lived next to others and really don’t like others. There are moments in the book that you laugh, times you cry and other occasions that you are mad. A great read and I hope the author will write additional books.

The Final Salute by Kathleen M. Rodgers has received over twenty reviews to date (on Amazon.com), the majority of which were written by military folks, many of which are connected with the Air Force. This reviewer is going to come from the perspective of someone who has not served in the military, and has not had any connection to the Air Force.

The Final Salute takes readers into the world of Air Force fighter pilots. This is a life where the pilots don’t know from day to day whether they will make it home to be with their families. They are haunted by the memories of dead friends, lost in war or in air mishaps, and must go on living their daily lives with all that comes their way.

The story is compelling and pulls the reader into the life of Tuck Westerfield and his family. He is a Vietnam vet serving at a small air base in Louisiana. The author does a superb job of creating the characters all around Tuck to make a very believable story, one that creates tension between people, which makes for a great read. Tuck, along with the other pilots in his squadron are called into battle again when Iraq invades Kuwait. Tragedy strikes, the final salute is offered, and this is when they again realize that they “must pull together and live on or forever be consumed with grief.”

Kathleen Rodgers has lived her life being the wife of a fighter pilot. She dedicated this book to her husband, Tom (“whose ghosts first inspired this story”), and “in memory of fallen friends, too numerous to mention here”). Be sure to read the poem “TAPS” at the beginning of the book, for it will make this story a reality, as it was written by the late Mrs. Maryellen Husson after her first husband, Captain Roy Westerfield, was killed in a plane crash in 1980. After reading the poem, readers will see that The Final Salute is a very meaningful title for Kathleen Rodger’s book. This is a well-written book and readers beyond the Air Force will appreciate the story. This reviewer is looking forward to more books written by Ms. Rodgers.

Kathleen M. Rodgers’ first novel, The Final Salute – Together We Live On, is a terrific read. Living an Air Force life is not easy. You create lifelong friends and many memories. And just like in any life, you also lose lifelong friends and you find not all memories are pleasant ones.

The main characters, Turk and Gina are truly likable although not without flaws. All the characters come to life under Ms. Rodgers’ pen. I found that when I was first introduced to some of this Air Force family, I wasn’t ready to like some of them. Turns out I was wrong about most of them. The many colorful characters are brought to life and when they explore their lives, it reminds us that nothing is set in stone and that life moves on with or without you.

Kathy reflects the Air Force life in this novel to perfection. She has drawn from her own deeply personal experiences and put them into the characters that breathe with touching and often raw emotion. I was drawn into the story from the first page. And when I was done, I had shared in their joys, seethed in their anger and mourned their losses. A highly enjoyable read!! Well done, Kathy, well done! I look forward to her next novel!!

Kathleen Rodgers has an amazing gift! She has really been able to articulate what life in the military is like. Although I am not familiar with the specific politics that go on among pilots and officers, as a former enlisted member of the USAF I have found so much that I can identify with in this book. I have certainly had my share of flashbacks! ha-ha My husband looked over at me last night as I was reading through Part II and said, “What on earth are you reading?!” I was crying–not always sad tears, of course. I don’t want to give anything away to anyone who hasn’t read the book, but it is just so powerful to get a glimpse into such an intimate part of these characters’ lives. I find it a rare treat when I encounter a book that can take me through the whole spectrum of emotions–and really make me feel them to the point I am laughing out loud or crying.

For those who are or have been in the military, they will love reading a book written by someone who has experienced the military life. For those who have not been in the military, they will enjoy the intimate look into the life of a military family and their friends–the details which you don’t read about in the newspapers and magazines. And no matter what your background is, you will just love reading a story that will at times make you laugh out loud at times; and other times, cry. You will encounter characters who are totally ‘real’ and situations which are entirely believable.

I think I only have one or two chapters left now. I quit reading last night because I wasn’t ready to let these people go. I will hate for the story to end.

As a retired USAF officer and fighter pilot, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I could relate to every event in the book as something I had experienced or saw during my career (I think I may know some of the people she modeled the characters after).

The plot was believable and well-told from the point of the characters and how they would actually speak in real life.

I would caution a reader on thinking that every USAF family experiences such things; all these events happening to one family would be extreme. It also dealt with some of the taboos (officer wife and enlisted wife relationships) that are not as rigid as some might think. Also, as other reviewers have cautioned, the language can be pretty direct, even for a mature audience.

As the wife of a fighter pilot, Kathleen does address one thing very well — showing the special camaraderie that the flying community has and the effect that the death of an old friend can have on a flyer — but how that is compartmented to certain outlets and expressions. As I read the book, I was able to fondly recall my own career, tempered by the loss of good friends.

The Final Salute opened a door into the lives of the brave men who fly fighter jets and the braver woman who love them, worry about them and sometimes lose them. I was touched and moved by the honesty of Ms. Rodgers words. I cared about her characters, I felt I knew them intimately. When I finished this book it was hard for me to close that door once again on them.

I first heard about this book when it was advertised in The Air Force Times, and bought it right away because it sounded so interesting. I was not disappointed. Anybody who has ever been a military wife, and especially anybody who has ever lived on base, will relate to this book. The Final Salute is about Air Force fighter pilots, and it is entertaining, poignant, sad, funny, and hopeful all at the same time, as the characters cope with high hopes and dreams, adventure, politics, very close friendships, annoying neighbors, family problems, and yes, the occasional deaths of comrades. There is high relatability for military people in The Final Salute, and genuineness, since the author spent many years as an Air Force wife, and a pilot’s wife at that. This is a well-written book with highly developed, believable, larger than life characters, a great plot, good sub-plot, and superb continuity, with no character dropped. It is the first book that held my attention in a long time, and I highly recommend it. Five stars.

As a veteran–but without experience with the Air Force–I enjoyed overall this story of one AF pilot’s family life during the First Gulf War. I really liked Tuck and Gina’s marriage relationship, one of mutual support and respect through good times and hard times, separation, blended families, neighborhood squabbles and dealing with military bad boys. Tuck’s dilemmas become the reader’s as well–tell what you know and risk much vs. do what you’re told and question your own integrity. How he handles it was very satisfying. As was the ending. His internalizing of his emotions, as is often the case with those who’ve seen or experienced difficult things, was true to life, as was how it drives loved ones crazy. The section that was made up almost entirely of letters written between deployed personnel and the home front was quite unique, and the author did an excellent job in making it work very well–not an easy task.

Beware, though, this book is not family fare with its raw and realistic vocabulary, which the book’s grownups don’t always tone down for the benefit of children in the room. But this family is solid, loving and patriotic. Those pilots who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our country are memorialized and honored in a special way, and thanks to The Final Salute, will not be forgotten.

Author Kathleen Rodgers’ first novel, The Final Salute, is the moving story of an Air Force family dealing with the peculiar realities of their lives. On the one hand, the Westerfields are just like everyone else – they fight with their neighbors, deal with rebellious step children, resent their intrusive parents, gossip on Saturday and go to church on Sunday, bump heads at the office, keep secrets, tell tales – and generally embrace all the joys and irritations that make us human. On the other hand, Tuck Westerfield is a fighter pilot. When he goes to work each morning, there’s a big chance he might not come home for dinner. Does the stress of that knowledge heighten each touch, each argument, each achievement – and each failure? Or does the shadow of mortality taint what should be sweet?

With a careful pen, Rodgers introduces the Westerfields and their large extended dysfunctional Air Force family in the months building up to the first Gulf War so that when Tuck is deployed shortly after deciding to retire, the reader feels the excitement of the times as well as the dread. The men are going on a great adventure – they are making a difference. They are serving their country – doing what they were trained to do. The flurry of letters going back and forth between the families left behind and the warriors at work over the skies of Iraq burble with the mundane activities of home. However, the cool veneer of normality covers sizzling emotions like love and fear. Will Wheaties get to see his newborn son? Who will come home a hero? Who is a coward? Will Tuck survive to retire?

When it’s all over and the families are reunited, Tuck sticks with his decision to move on. So many of his friends have died in crashes -the possibility of advancement doesn’t seem worth the risks anymore. As the Westerfields settle into a new life, the military subculture they leave behind marches inexorably onward – as it always has. Then, another young pilot dies. Tuck returns from American Airlines – and in a heartbreaking final salute to the many friends who didn’t make it home at the end of their workday, gives the eulogy.

Rodgers’ portrait is loving and frank at the same time. Military life is filled with both risks and rewards – and she makes that clear. However, this is a deep book – not a flattering Top Gun biopic. It presents real people under trying circumstances. She turns clichés upside down – the big-haired, over-blown lady living next door turns out to be a kind-hearted, animal loving, smart business-woman. The sullen Goth-girl turns out to be a sweet-natured, eager-to-please big sister to her young step-brothers. The status climbing wives’ social clubs turn out to be supportive and caring networks that hold everyone together during trying times. Sparkling grandmas encourage big dreams, fearful mothers fight losing battles to protect sons from dangerous endeavors. The big and the strong sometimes don’t live up to their shiny images, those who struggle to serve two taskmasters sometimes fail and sometimes win — and sometimes defy the odds.
Readable, intimate, tender – highly recommended.

~ Joyce Faulkner, President of Military Writers Society of America and award-winning author of In the Shadow of Suribachi, For Shrieking Out Loud, and Losing Patience. Co-author of The Sunchon Tunnel Massacre Survivors.

If you have been a member of the “Air Force” family or ever wondered what it is really like then read Kathleen Rodgers’ book, The Final Salute. She tells the story with insight that only comes with the intimacy of being an insider who has lived the dream, and the nightmare, of military life. The names may have been changed to protect the innocent, and the guilty, but the story is as real as it gets. A great read!

I read this book in one sitting. The characters were authentic–from Wynonna, the beauty supplier to Tuck, the cantankerous old fighter pilot. The book wraps the entire community in a quilt of wildly varying patterns, albeit stitched with a strong thread which ties all of their lives together in a solid package. Tuck, the central character is an ordinary pilot, yet superlative in what he accomplishes. It is a very satisfying portrait of Air Force life.

Today’s everyday life is so vastly different from our AF days that I didn’t think it possible to uncover sentiments from the past, but that’s exactly what Kathy has done. It’s more than reminiscing, it’s the familiarity of the characters, locations, and occurrences that allowed me to take a trek down memory lane; re-experiencing the “remember when…” and “that sounds just like…” moments. Consistent development and descriptive narratives emanate visual images allowing reader to partake in the passage. Thanks Kathy! Loved the book.

All pilots of high performance aircraft, especially those of fighters, have two loves. One, that of their flying world, few ever know. The other, family, nearly everyone knows.
In The Final Salute Kathleen Rodgers weaves both into a story that unites the two like I’ve never seen done. Her Gina, the wife every pilot wants and needs, leads a cast of characters who bring military flying to vibrant life. Across the spectrum, humor to tragedy, petty base politics to gut-wrenching war, Rodgers captures it. Family strife to family as all, she nails it.The Final Salute is a fantastic read that entertains as well as it illuminates. Any reader much involved in the human race will love it.

I loved this book, The Final Salute. I laughed, I cried, and I remembered. As a retired fighter pilot, this book did an excellent job of reminding me what life in a fighter squadron was like. I read this book in one day–I couldn’t put it down. I highly recommend this book to anyone–prior military or not. It is a highly entertaining and wonderful insight to military life. Thank you Kathy for putting it all together in such a wonderful format.

This book will lead you on a journey through a diverse spectrum of emotions, characters, situations and locations. It has a rich, creative and complex plot capturing the issues and drama of family life in the USAF. Kathleen nailed the charismatic personality of a heroic American fighter pilot. How they act, think, joke, play, and feel. Not too surprising since she is married to one! I highly recommend this book to all those interested in flight and military families. Helmut Reda, Editor, Because I Fly. Because I Fly: A Collection of Aviation Poetry

I just finished reading “A Final Salute” and it blew me away. I was thankful to be alone during the last half because much of it had this old fighter pilot in tears. One reason it connected so much is because the main character was so believable to me. He was nearly living my life! Like Lt Col Westerfield in the story I was a fighter pilot, flew in Southeast Asia, was a Wing Chief of Safety, lost friends to aircraft accidents, retired as a Lt Col and then was lucky enough to get hired by a major airline. My wife and I spent a lot of time at a small base, small town in Idaho very similar to the Louisiana base described in the book. Many of the things Kathleen Rodgers wrote in her fictional story I saw happen for real. She did an excellent job of capturing that atmosphere, life in the Air Force in that period, and the hardships of losing friends and of military people going off to war leaving families to worry and wait.

I ordered this book on a recommendation from another fighter pilot…and glad I did. I had a chance to read it on a flight a few weeks ago during an unexpected trip overseas. The book? Well, nothing short of excellent; I was spell-bound from start to finish. I thought it was supposed to be a fictional story, but I think everything in that book actually happened! I was there. I lived it. This book really hit home for me. You know, it’s kind of embarrassing for an ex-fighter pilot to have tears come to his eyes while reading on a plane full of passengers. Any military aviator/spouse will find this novel “dead-on” with the life they’ve lived or are living. You’ll swear that you personally know every character in this novel. I highly recommend it!

This story brought back a lot of memories about life in a flying squadron, and I could identify and connect with many of the characters.
As I read the story, I could say to myself “Yeah, I’ve done that” or “That’s how I felt when I got grounded” etc.
I’ve always had a soft spot for the military wives sitting on pins and needles while their guys are off `cheating death’ either in training or in combat. The movie “We were soldiers, once… and young” (based on a book written in 1992 and made into a movie in 2002, starring Mel Gibson) really illustrated the important role the wives support group plays at a military base. I had the opportunity to talk with Joe Galloway, the author, about this, and he said that although his story was about the honor and dedication of the men in combat, the major sub-story was how the families handled the tension and news of death back at the home front.

Anyway, I’m going to recommend to my UPT classmates (Willy Class of 70-05 – there’s about 55 of us left) that it is a good book, worthy of inclusion in their library (I think most of them can read). My assessment is that your book is best suited for the Old Heads, the “been there, done that” crowd, as it focuses on the frustrations, politics, and hypocrisy of military life which most of us have lived through. Quite frankly, I’m hesitant to recommend it for my two boys (Son and Son-in-law, both Captains in the F-16 world) since they are still in that invincible, bulletproof, I-can-do-anything mode – let them discover their own frustrations. M.Winslow Col. USAF/ANG, Ret

I’ve never written a review before. I chose to do so for this book because although I finished reading it a month ago, I cannot get the characters or some of the scenes out of my mind. To me, that means that the author did a great job. I laughed, I cried and now I can’t forget The Final Salute. I hope the author will write a sequel because I fell in love with the characters. If not, then I look forward to her second novel. Please don’t make us wait too long, Ms. Rodgers!!!

I don’t read frequently, but this was interesting and a quick read – couldn’t put it down!
As a Navy Chief’s wife, I found this most interesting. Although my husband did not fly, he instructed pilots on the A6A Intruder and appreciated those pilots’ skills as they were catapulted and recaptured from the Kitty Hawk – may she rest in peace! I didn’t have experience living in base housing and I’m thankful for that, thanks to Kathy!! What’s next??

“It’s only in recent years that military spouses finally have some novels written about their military world and their lives. Military spouses are putting down their experiences on the page, both in nonfiction and fiction form. Before this, the classic novel was The Officers Wives, which is still a fascinating read but is no longer a reflection of our current realities.

As a longtime military spouse, I love to read about other women/men/families experiencing some of the same things that my husband and I have experienced being connected to the military. It’s fun to say, “Oh, I had exactly that experience once,” or “I know exactly how she feels.”

Kathleen M. Rodgers’ novel The Final Salute had me saying exactly those kinds of things as I read it. The novel especially comes alive when her characters become involved with the first Gulf War. The letters/emails back and forth between husband and wife and child clearly express the feelings we all go through during wartime deployments. And it’s at this point in the novel that many of the relationships, especially relationships between people who might in other worlds never have connected, deepen and strengthen as they do in real life during challenging times.

Although I could relate to many of the experiences of the character in the novel, I found the differences just as interesting. Although all military spouses have some things in common, there truly are big differences based on who we are as unique individuals. There are also some differences between the experiences of spouses of different services, or of those married to individuals in different specialties. This novel really shows what it is like to be married to a fighter pilot, both during more normal but still very dangerous training periods as well as in war.

The Final Salute gives anyone a glimpse into the military day-to-day world, and especially, into many of the emotions and experiences that come from tragedy, great friendships and great commitment.

Kathie Hightower, coauthor of Help! I’m a Military Spouse — I Get a Life Too! 2d Edition

Yes, Kathleen Rodgers’ The Final Salute is an exciting account of the nerves-on-edge lives of Air Force pilots. But it’s more than that. It is an insightful story of military wives and families who live right there on the edge with these defenders of the sky: loving them, fearing for them, and supporting them–and other wives and families in whatever their need. The novel is a smooth, enjoyable read with characters who are vivid, realistic and run the gamut from upstanding, caring, witty to petty, lecherous, and downright evil. Read Kathleen’s novel and you’ll gain inspiration for living every moment of your own life to the fullest, regardless of how high the “highs” and how low the “lows.”

This book is a moving evocation of the reality shared by fighter pilots and their families. The many years Kathleen Rodgers invested in the writing of her novel are evident: The characters are well-drawn and developed, the plot well mapped and paced, the dialogue is spot-on, and the emotions ring true. She has done an amazing job, and I highly recommend this to readers both military and civilian.
–Mary Edwards Wertsch, author of Military Brats: Legacies of Childhood Inside the Fortress

Author Kathleen Rodgers has created a novel that could be a slice from real life. Her well-written debut book about career Air Force pilots The Final Salute is a story that real pilots and military families will fully understand and perhaps, even identify with. But it is the human emotions that this story brings out that will win over all readers, including those who have never worn any uniform, or flown an airplane.

War, they say, is truly hell–and Rodgers captures that element as she unfolds her tale. It becomes both entertaining and at times, thought provoking. Her characters are sharp and multi-dimensional; which is the true strength of this novel. She artfully uses these people to unfold her dramatic storyline.

This book deals with the dangers of warfare; but it is the inner and outward emotional battles of her lead characters that keep the reader turning pages. The book takes on huge chunks of real-life stuff: problems with teenage children, husband-wife issues, bad relations with people, friendship, flying war planes and death, to name just a few.

The reader will find plenty of action and excitement to satisfy that need from an action novel; but it is the thought-provoking plot and comradeship of the fighter pilots that makes this a perfect military novel. It reminded me emotionally of books like From Here To Eternity. This book is destined to generate lots of buzz among readers of military themed genre. It is truly a future war classic.

The Military Writer’s Society of America gives this book its highest rating of FIVE STARS! It also has my personal recommendation! The book is that good!!!

W. H. McDonald Jr. – Founder of the Military Writer’s Society of America
Author, Documentary Film Maker, and Vietnam Veteran

I just completed reading The Final Salute by Kathy Rodgers and it is AWESOME. I first met Kathy about 28 yrs. ago when her husband Tom and I flew A-10s together in the USAF. In this book, her first ever published, she has captured some of the real life personal aspects of being a fighter pilot and family in the USAF. I laughed at some of the wacky characters and cried at the people killed, as they brought back memories of things so typical of life in a fighter squadron. I think Kathy has hit a home run in this first at bat as a novel writer. I highly recommend the book.